Kano 18th
by red midnight
Summary: Alice found the 19th Lotis word. But what about the other 18?


Prologue

It was the hunting season for Kano's town. This was his first year of going to hunt with the other men. He was proud of himself, for only the strongest and the best could join the others. And he was indeed better than the rest. Everyone admired him and looked up to him. Girls would faint in the presence of him. They would whisper behind his back admiringly. To be honest, he was sick of them and never wanted to hear another word from those dim-witted girls. As he left his house, three girls started to crowd around him.

"Don't get yourself hurt, Kano," the first girl said. The second girl pushed her aside.

"I'm not worried. You'll be the best out of all of the _other_ men." The third girl didn't say anything. She was the one that was always quiet, yet it was always obvious what her emotions were and what she wanted. She always got what she wanted, but she wasn't spoiled. She was pretty and somewhat popular, but she was totally different than these ditsy girls in front of him. She stood there staring in her usual day-dream way, making Kano feel uncomfortable.

"Um, girls," he started to say.

"Yes, Kano?" the two girls asked. They looked at each other and started to giggle.

"I'd love to stay and chat, but I better get going. I might miss the others."

"Oh, don't worry. You're so quick-footed that you'd catch up with them even if they were five miles ahead of you," they first girl said. "And remember, when you come back, ask around for Michiko. For I will be waiting anxiously for your re—"

"Oh! And I'm Nyoko," the second girl said, interrupting Michiko. Nyoko glared at Michiko for a while, then turning back to Kano, but all she saw was his silhouette running off to the woods.

"Humph," said Michiko, "now you scared him off." She left, followed by Nyoko. The third girl stood right where she was when the girls were talking to Kano. The wind started to pick up and her raven hair was flowing with it. Nyoko, realizing that she was not following her, called after her.

"Hoshiko, come on! Don't expect Kano to return after he just left." Hoshiko awoke from her day-dream and followed after them.

"I'm annoyed by you, Hoshiko," sneered Michiko. "If you like Kano so much, why don't you tell him?" Hoshiko looked down at the ground and spoke very quietly:

"Because it is not my place in life to do so."

Kano was panting once he caught up with the other men. He was glad to get away from those girls. He remembered the awkward stare from Hoshiko. Her bright, hazel eyes were very strange to him, and yet they seemed so familiar, as if he'd known her from somewhere else. 'Oh, nonsense,' he thought to himself. He shook his head, as if trying to get those fantasy thoughts out of his head.

The sun was nearly setting and they would have to stop soon. Kano set down his bow and quiver of arrows so that they were leaning against a rock. He keeled down by a small, narrow stream, dipped his hands in, and splashed the cold water on his face. The water was bone-chilling and refreshing. He dipped his hands in again, this time drinking the water that was cupped in his hands. He sighed. The weight of the supplies he carried on his back was nearly overwhelming. But he would carry on. He was not going to show that he was weak. He suddenly jerked his head upward. There was something across the water from where he was standing. Kano grabbed his bow, a single arrow and was ready, about to shoot. A paw stepped out of the bushes. Kano was not about to risk anything, he fired at the gray paw. The animal yelped and ran away. Toshiro, one of the other hunters, saw what Kano had done.

"Everyone, look! Kano has already got his first victim!" Everyone gathered around the stream, hoping to see the prize beast that Kano had shot. Kano stepped over the stream and parted the bushes, wanting to see what he hit. There was howling and yelping to the left of him. He followed the noise and found the beast. It was a she-wolf, and Kano had shot the lower part of her leg. He walked over to it, slowly, to finish what he started. When he was almost beside the wolf, she snarled and showed her teeth. Her anger quickly faded and she was now weak and consumed with pain. She started to weakly yelp again. As Kano watched the beast, he no longer wanted to kill the animal. She didn't deserve to die. He grasped the arrow, trying to pull it out of the she-wolf's leg. The wolf looked at Kano with a painful expression.

"It's all right," he said, trying to sooth her, "I'm trying to help you." He pulled the arrow one last time. The wolf howled painfully, so loud even the other hunters could probably hear. Kano clutched his arrow in his hand. He threw it aside, and tended to the she-wolf. He held her leg in his hand, blood running all over his arm. He carefully tore off a bit of his cloak to use as a bandage on the wounded leg. The beast winced but was somewhat healed. It got up and wobbled around, its legs still unstable. Then it recovered some strength in its legs and ran off. Kano grabbed his bloody arrow as he started to leave. He saw that it had been changed. There was a strange symbol on the side. He shook his head and headed back toward camp.

"Hey, Kano! What happened? Did you get it?" Toshiro was the first one to greet him. Kano shrugged.

"Nah, the little devil was too fast, I guess."

"What a shame. I was sure you'd get 'im." He looked at him disappointingly. "Oh, well. He won't live long, not with a wound in the leg at least. Can't run away can he?" He laughed to himself and joined the others at the camp. Kano started to follow, but couldn't help but look behind him.

"Yeah. I guess you're right, Toshiro."


End file.
